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TEXT BY CHIARA DALLA TOMASINA

DOLCE&GABBANA

IN VENETIAN STYLE

The historic charm of the palazzi of Venice as the

location for a Dolce&Gabbana boutique. Three floors

of eclecticism, elegance, and attention to detail, where

the adventures of the Most Serene Republic live side by

side with the modernity of two of Italy’s most famous

fashion designers.

“As the day breaks, the stars fade with envy as the charms of Venice “We found Palazzo Torres, a former bank, just a few steps
emerge from the fog.” Mieczysław Kozłowski, the Polish philologist from Piazza San Marco, and it totally became part of our world,”
and journalist in love with Venice, dedicated these passionate words declared Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. “We didn’t chan-
to the seaborne city. And he was right. If the lagoon city is charming ge anything, we just kept what history had built. The palazzo’s wal-
in the daytime, it’s even more mesmerizing at dawn, when a light ls, mosaics, and ceilings became the platform to create beauty and
fog rises, pierced by the warm lights and the towers of the noble pa- innovation.” What they wanted to convey with the boutique was
laces that overlook the canals with their imposing size. “harmony within history, from which everything is born, and the
The Dolce&Gabbana boutique found its ideal location in one contemporary, told through the works of Venetian artisans.”
of Venice’s buildings: Palazzo Torres. Originally built in the 1880s Designed in collaboration with American architect Eric Carl-
and previously home to a bank, it does not pale in comparison to son of Carbondale Studio, the boutique perfectly accomplishes its
the wonders of Venice: it is a blend of refined eclecticism concen- ambitious goal of creating a unique experience suspended between
trated in three floors. Like the façade, its interiors are also a cu- two fascinating contrasts: the rich history of the Most Serene Re-
rious but harmonic combination of Oriental-style motifs with a public of Venice, marked by its thriving commercial trade and art
touch of Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque elements. scene, and the modernity that distinguishes some of the boutique’s
This elegant opulence is perfectly espoused with the tastes of rooms. “The interior design pays homage to Venetian traditional
the two Italian fashion designers, who chose to keep the essence of craftsmanship,” explains Eric Carlson, “but in a unique and con-
the prestigious building completely intact. temporary way.”

40 Lifestyle Protagonist